99-Points by Vinous & James Suckling.
The 2021 Ornellaia captures all the magic of this sensational vintage on the Tuscan Coast. Rich, ample and expansive, with tremendous polish, the 2021 is pure class. Dark-toned fruit, mocha, espresso, licorice, plum and dried herbs abound. The tannins are present but also beautifully integrated, as is the French oak. There was a time not too long ago when young wines here needed years in bottle to drink well. That's not at all the case with the 2021.
Blend: 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, 7% Petit Verdot.
New oak was 70% with the blend taking place after 12 months ageing, then left for a further six months in barrel, and 12 months in bottle before release.
 
Ornellaia: The very name sends critics and collectors into rhapsodies about the estate’s unassailable quality. It’s often referred to as “Italy’s First Growth,” and critic Antonio Galloni has said their wines “have never failed to literally send shivers down my spine.” Just four miles from the Mediterranean, Ornellaia’s original Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon vines were planted by the legendary enologist André Tchelistcheff, who called the property “El Dorado.” Today, they’re tended by Olga Fusari, the protégé of Axel Heinz, who Galloni called “one of the world’s most in-demand winemakers.” In 2002, Marchesi de' Frescobaldi and Robert Mondavi became owners of Tenuta dell'Ornellaia, which is now owned exclusively by Marchesi de' Frescobaldi.